Gender and Runaways

Abstract

Runaway is a status offense for which there is concern that youths, particularly girls, are vulnerable to the “evils of the streets.” Prior research suggests that many personal and family risks of runaway are gendered, that the streets may be meaner, and that the strategies for survival disproportionately serve to criminalize girls. Moreover, patriarchial values may make the juvenile justice response to runaway girls overly harsh “for their own good.” Unfortunately, research has been hampered by small or biased samples. This study examines many risk factors to discern patterns and gender differences among runaway youths for whom there is a status offense charged. Many charged runaway youths are followed to determine the nature of official responses and whether responses appear gendered. The findings have implications for changes in how officials respond to runaway youths, both in terms of what will better serve the youths' best interests and for improving public safety.